Project Overview

This project’s overall aim is to establish a clear framework for the development of culture in Kuwait, by creating the base for strong cultural institutions that operate with respect to international standards and with qualified and skilled personnel. These form the foundation for institutions that can extend services and deliver a rich cultural agenda and programs to society, as well as effective platforms that encourage creativity and productivity in the cultural field.
UNDP’s support of this project is in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD), along with the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the implementing partner is Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL). Together, they aim towards the following:
• Strengthening NCCAL through institutional restructuring and national cultural policy development,
• Institutional strengthening through finalising recommendations for NCCAL museums’ services and storage strategies,
• Training of NCCAL staff in conservation and other needed areas,
• Establishment of an enhanced handicrafts and creative industries framework and develop capacity development plans for implementation,
• Development of a communications strategy for NCCAL to better disseminate their undertakings,
• South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation enacted through key partnerships for benchmarking and knowledge sharing, and
• Organization of an international conference in Cultural Heritage.

Project Highlights

To date, assessments have been made for 7 NCCAL museum storage areas (the Kuwait National Museum and Museum of Modern Arts) and 2 depots and conservation labs. Reports have been submitted with recommendations. A museum storage condition survey report has been developed, while Conservation training is now underway for NCCAL staff through lectures and training sessions with experts.